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Chromebooks and Chrome Web Store

Since our 9th and 10th grade AJHS students will have Chromebooks as their One-to-One devices and Chromebook carts will be dedicated to the elementary schools, it’s important to learn about the Chromebooks, experience them, and the Chrome Web Store.

How are Chromebooks different?

Chromebooks have a web based management council. This means they:

update themselves;

boot up in 6-8 seconds (and over time that speeds up);

cannot have software installed on them;

can install apps and extensions through the Chrome Web Store (including a plethora of Educational Apps);

can do most anything online via the Chrome browser;

and, start up by logging onto the computer with your Google password, then straight into Chrome.

What do we need to know about the Chromebook hardware?

There are different types of Chromebooks. The one we are using in our district is the Samsung. They are light (2.42 pounds) and have a battery life of approximately 6.5 hours.

We also need to be aware that the screens are known to break easily if they are picked up by the screen (top) instead of the keyboard (base). Therefore, it’s important that we model and expect everyone to pick them up by the base and keep them in cases.

Chromebook Shortcuts:

Here’s a list of shortcuts for the Chromebook. There are some that you will want to specifically teach the students such as:

Screenshots can be added to an email or a Google Doc by inserting an image. Likewise, the image can be uploaded to other applications such as a blog post, etc.

To right click, press Alt + click or place two fingers on the mousepad and click.

Getting to the Chrome Web Store:

Using the Chrome Web Store is how you add educational apps and extensions to your Chrome browser. This means that it will be on every Chrome browser you log into, regardless of device.

There are many ways to get to the Chrome Web Store. Here are a few of them:

Concluding Thoughts:

Finding tools for your students to use is an important part of One-to-One. Thinking through how they will use those tools for learning is the other important part of One-to-One. Will the tool be used for memorization (DOK 1)? Skills/application (DOK 2)? Strategic thinking (DOK 3)? Or, extended thinking (DOK 4)? Will it be used as a paper and pencil substitution or will it be used to transform learning?

What Chrome apps or extensions would you add to this list?

What other hardware thoughts or questions should be shared?

Do you have other thoughts or questions about Chromebooks and the Chrome Web Store?

18 thoughts on “Chromebooks and Chrome Web Store”

Hi Tracy,
Thanks so much for your information. Our district is just starting out with Chromebooks (not One-to_One yet). We are excited and nervous at the same time as it involves a new learning curve (especially coming from a MAC user!).

Thanks for the tip about “Modeling” proper usage. I hadn’t realized that the screens were that sensitive – My elementary students try to be careful – but knowing this up front will make me be more diligent in setting rules in place.

I’m excited about all the apps – I noticed you put them into categories – I think I would add Spelling/Vocabulary City to the Elementary grouping as well. We used the website last year with great success. Totally, looking forward to exploring the other apps you suggested!!!

As always, thanks for your information. It is complete and thoughtful!

Thanks so much for commenting. Yes, there’s always a learning curve when something new is introduced. Chromebooks are well worth the cost for what they offer, and are less than buying a set up books for students, and are up-to-date with current information per say. So, it’s a good shift.

As you start to work with them and experience them, I would love to hear what specific pieces you needed to learn to do differently on them… and the tips you have to offer.

Your suggestion of Spelling/Vocabulary City is one that our elementary teachers should think about also. Thanks for mentioning that!

There is a new Chrome app that I would recommend for students. It is called 3DView and it is free 3D models viewing and sharing App.
3DView has some simple geometry manipulation, measurement and file sharing capabilities that can inspire and help students to learn geometry and design. It’s also integrated with Chrome and instantly opens all 3D models from websites like thingiverse.com.

Thanks for sharing your app with us! It looks fabulous. Are there tutorials you’d recommend for learning how to use it? I like letting my teachers know where they can go for help, or where they can send their students for help.

I’ve been working with the high school online classes this year. My previous background is with Microsoft and Linux platforms so I’ve had to relearn a few things. I wish that I’d taken a look at this blog earlier this year so that I’d been able to use the apps and tips. I will be using Geogebra, Desmos, and Khan Academy to assist me in re-teaching students missed math skills. My experience in computer drafting and modeling has also caused 3D Tin to catch my eye.

Hi Tracy,
Since I retired from AJ high school 3 years ago, I’ve been working as a substitute teacher at all the grade levels. It’s been very helpful to have this resource to work with. We were just starting with the Chromebooks when I retired. It is great to see how well they have been integrated in the system.

I am utterly unfamiliar with the chromebook, despite its prolific status on our campuses. Overall, I approach this sort of technology the same way I approach the iPad; it is an excellent supplement for teaching, but only if it is used as a dedicated teaching device. Sure, the methods can be fun and similar to games, but if the end take away is ‘it’s just a game’ then there is ultimately not a lot of benefit to using them. That said, I feel that most apps can be used to approach any of the DOK levels with some creative thinking on our part.

In perusing the chrome store, I came across and ESL app called ABCDog. It contains short stories containing words that begin with the letters of the alphabet. From a sped language point of view, this app looks really awesome for vocabulary acquisition, answering wh-questions, beginning storytelling, etc. I’m excited to use it.

I don’t have any real concerns about hardware at this time, but I do have a question about chrome store and searching. Is there a better way to search by category than what they’ve got up right now? It seems like you get to just browse through things and find them on your own – very time consuming!

Sounds like ABCDog is a great find! I look forward to following up with you after you’ve used it with students for a while.

Also, yes, I too found it tedious to scroll through the Store. If I have a specific purpose in mind, I tend to type it into the search box in the Chrome Web Store and have found some great finds that way. I also have found fabulous apps through other Tech Integration Specialists — for example, “60 Chrome Apps and Extensions in 60 minutes” by Stacy Behmer.

I think technology offers a great tool to be used to access and gain practical experience in all levels of the DOK. I do think sometimes technology is used as an avenue to throw at students to keep them busy and have them build artifacts with no exact correlation to a DOK. I think technology is here to stay and students should be taught to use it to gain insight into unknown areas of knowledge and to learn how to use it to explore and propose answers to questions that they will face in the future.

There are no extensions that I know of that could or should be added. I have not had my students use extension or many apps this year as only 2 classes have the chrome books available to them.

I think that it is important that people know that yes those Samsung Chromebooks are fast at booting up, but yes they do break easy and one drop and they are in many pieces.

I think the Chromebook store will continue to add great apps in the future and I look forward to utilizing apps as the one to one trickles up through the high school grades.

Thank you for posting this as it will be a resource for myself and for my students in the near future.

Good points, and you are right, the tech really needs to be part of DOK 3 and 4 for deeper learning.

For your class, have you tried typing in “anatomy” into the search of the Chrome Web Store? There were a couple that popped up that are free. I also tried “human body” and “body.” — If you find one that you would recommend to others, please come back here to share. Chances are, there’s another teacher who would benefit from your insight.

My first exposure to the Chromebooks was when you came and spoke with us about them at SMES. This course was basically what you presented then. I can see that these are going to be a huge asset to our students’ learning. Their fragility does concern me, though. I have no recommendations for apps, since I haven’t had any experience with this. I conduct quarterly PBL’s and I’m excited for the apps that will enhance students’ research efforts and their projects. Specifically, I intend to integrate Diigo for collaboration, InstaGrok and Khan Academy for research, and Biteslide, Slide Rocket, and Stupeflix for presentations. These will take their research and projects to higher levels of strategic and extended thinking (DOK 3 and DOK 4). I’m curious to see what Empower 3000 offers for writing. I have already introduced Typing Club to all my classes on the net books, and will continue with it next year, since every student needs to learn keyboarding skills. One question I have is, will printing ever be available for the Chromebooks? I look forward to this addition to our arsenal of learning tools…what will they think of next?

Hello!
Thank you for sharing this useful information about chromebooks. The apps are going to be so exciting for the kids. Using new tools for educational purposes is an effective way to promote learning. Laptops and netbooks seem to be helping students prepare for junior high and high school. I’m eager to explore the many options for using chromebooks and apps.
Melissa Clark

One question I have about Chromebooks and Chrome Web Store is, How will teachers be able to monitor what apps students can download or use? Also, will Chromebooks be accessible for students to do assignments or projects at home? I am very eager to see how the students respond to this new, exciting tool!
Thank you
Melissa Clark

Good question! It depends — at the HS level, it will be by the student. Our content filters will still work and Gaggle will flag us if something comes up on or off campus. For the elementary and Junior High Chromebooks, it’s a little different process. This post here explains it. Basically, it says that the teacher controls which apps are loaded onto the Chromebooks.